TROY -- The infamous pay raises, or salary adjustments as Mayor Lou Rosamilia refers to them, were the focus of a budget hearing on Thursday during which City Council members got to ask some of their questions about the proposed 2013 budget.

Although the agenda for the evening was to look at various departments in the city services as well as the Comptroller's office, most of discussion centered on the contentious pay raises to some of Rosamilia's appointees.

Rosamilia went through each person receiving a raise, explaining why he hired him or her and why he or she would be receiving a "salary adjustment." He said the salaries are the ones agreed upon with the employees before they took their positions in January.

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"I want to emphasize I wanted to bring in the best possible candidates to move the city forward," Rosamilia said at the meeting. "I asked them, "What can you do to help the city?"

The raises included Confidential Assistant to the Mayor, Kathleen Ryan-Cassidy, $46,597 to $47,800; Deputy Director of Public Information, Mike Fraser, $46,075 to $47,075; Deputy Mayor Pete Ryan, $80,342 to $85,500; and Commissioner of Planning Bill Dunne, $72,450 to $77,000.

There was some squabbling over whether to call them raises or salary adjustments before Rosamilia explained the proposed increases to both Fraser's and Cassidy's salaries still wouldn't return them to the levels they were before the previous administration cut them by five percent.

"Mike said he didn't want to make what the prior individual was making and agreed to the $47,000 figure," Rosamilia said.

Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, first criticized Rosamilia's description of the positions as he said it appeared both Fraser and Cassidy were doing the same thing. Rosamilia tried differentiating the two positions, explaining Cassidy monitors his work flow, arranges meetings, fields phone calls and meetings with the public, coordinates schedules and offers direct assistance with financial paperwork.

As he began speaking about Ryan's work as deputy mayor, Ryan interjected and explained it was an embarrassment Rosamilia had to face so much criticism for the raises, and announced if the budget passes, he would donate the difference of his raise to the YMCA.

"This has been publicly vetted throughout the whole process, it's an embarrassment to the mayor, me and everyone here," Ryan said. "I'm really fed up with it."

Councilman Kevin McGrath, C-District 1, said he has seen the work put in by Ryan, such as working on weekends, showing up at fires and murders and various other tasks, and said he deserves to be compensated.

"In comparison to city employees, they're compensated for overtime," McGrath said. "With the way Pete responds to things all night, he's not even compensated. The salary adjustment is well deserved."

Rosamilia touched on the fact he tried to implement these raises at the beginning of the year but after objection from council members during a March Finance Committee meeting. A vote to remove the raises was passed.

There was also discussion about the change in the health care policy for retirees, called Empire Mediblue Freedom. The change is expected to save the city a total of $841,476. In a presentation from Benetech, the Wynantskill firm which laid out the plan during last Thursday's Finance Committee Meeting, said participants and their spouses could see a change in which doctors offices accept the benefits plan. There would also be slight changes in prescription drug benefits and some new co-pays, but they generally would not exceed $10.

Councilman Dean Bodnar, R-District 3, criticized the administration for not discussing the possible change with the unions that represent city employees. Both McGrath and Bodnar said they had been receiving phone calls from concerned citizens who weren't sure what would happen with the plan.

"They're not getting the presentation we got at the Finance meeting, what they're getting is hearsay," Bodnar said. "It's stuff that may not be accurate and, to be honest, it's scaring the hell out of some people."

City Personnel Director Nancy Matthews said those under the plan will be receiving packets of information today detailing what is included in the new plan. There will also be workshops held on Nov. 27 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at City Hall to go over those details and answer any questions about the new plan.